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THERE was first-and third and one out in the fourth, the Yankees already in danger of running out of opportunities against Toronto’s tough Shaun Marcum, when up stepped Alex Rodriguez and, theoretically, 2006 again.

Marcum came back from 3-0, got a groundball the Jays turned into a double play almost as fast as last year the fans were to boo. Then, one Rodriguez failure in a big spot would lead to 15 consecutive more. But that was then and this is now, now being the biggest happening when a Yankee steps to the plate since Mickey Mantle.

In the seventh, first-and-third again, the score still 1-0 Jays, up came A-Rod, without a doubt, either by Rodriguez or the fans.

“I didn’t pay much mind to that [previous] at-bat,” he said. “I had been aggressive, he made great pitches at 3-0 and 3-1. I trusted I would get at least one more chance.”

With this one, Rodriguez ripped a 2-1 Marcum pitch to the left-field wall, putting the Yankees ahead on their way to a 6-1 win that put them within five in the loss column of a playoff spot.

“Last year was an aberration – I struggled so badly [in key situations], but everyone has years they stink,” Rodriguez said. “August and September I was a little better and built on that.”

He built another Empire State Building on that. Rodriguez now has 92 RBI. In 92 games.

The record is Hack Wilson’s 191, the Yankee mark 184 by Lou Gehrig, who also had seasons of 175 and 174. A total of 11 times, a Yankee, either Gehrig, Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio, averaged more than an RBI a game for a season, which is why this franchise is this franchise and why, if the Yankees allow to walk the best player of the generation, it won’t be that franchise anymore.

At least not for a while it won’t, even if logic argues the Yankees can sign three good players for the $35 million a year that they would have to pay Rodriguez. We’re supposed to believe George Steinbrenner won’t be able to also afford Torii Hunter, even if The Boss has to make A-Rod the richest player ever, for the second time?

After Hunter, perhaps Carlos Zambrano, the Yankees won’t be able to spend $35 million a year wisely in a shallow free-agent winter. Other than excellent pitching prospects it makes good sense to keep, they have little to trade. So, facing a substantial turnover on an aging team whether they make the playoffs of not, they should be giving ultimatums to Rodriguez to re-sign before Nov. 1?

It might be the silliest posture ever taken. Also, the dumbest, if it’s for real. The top Scott Boras clients don’t take that bait. And once Rodriguez hits the market, there is about as much chance of the Yankees not being a bidder as Gary Sheffield has to be invited to Joe Torre’s house.

The Yankees will spend what they have to spend to keep Rodriguez because that is what the Yankees just did for 44-year-old Roger Clemens. It’s what they will do for Rodriguez, too, because he has 496 home runs far faster than anyone in history and is going to leave Barry Bonds immortal for about as long as was Mark McGwire.

“Like when Koufax, Roger, or [Nolan] Ryan pitched on a particular night and you thought you might see a no hitter, Alex will give you something to talk about,” said Torre. “He’s a guy you pay to watch.”

If Rodriguez truly wants away from the tabloids, or the fickleness of the fans, or the coldness of Derek Jeter, he will sign with the Angels or with San Francisco to replace Bonds. But if Steinbrenner offers to pay up, A-Rod will re-up because there is only one Alex Rodriguez, one New York and one Yankees who both can afford him and can’t afford to let him go.